Swivel connector



Dec. 22, 1953 J. A. CARR ETAL SWIVEL CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6 1950 J. A. CARR E HAS/(ELL $.M.$UTTO/V INVENTORS v R F MM m m W T L A 0 Dec. 22, 1953 J. A. CARR EI'AL SWIVEL CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1950 J. 24/"? E H SKELL //V|/ENTOR$ S MSUTTON 0. L-WALTER BY 01 b I ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 22, 1953 2,663,748 OFFICE 2,663,748 SWIVEL CONNECTOR James A. Carr, Maplcwood, Frederic V. Haskell, Gladstone, Stanford M. Sutton, Morristown, and Orville L.- Walter, Maplewood, N. J., assignors to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New'York, N. Y., a corporation of New York.

Application December 6, 1950,Serial No. 199,492

7 scams. (01. 2541- 1343) This invention relates to swivel' connectors and more particularly to an intermediate connecting device intended to be interposed between a tow line and a cable being towed to prevent the twisting of the cable.

One object of this invention is to provide a connecting device which will permit the winch or tow line to twist without iinpartingthe twisting action to the cable and/or strand-being towed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a connecting device which due to its novel construction has, at its draft end, means for rotatably securing a winch or tow line thereto and at its other end means for securing a cable and/or strand thereto.

In the installation of aerial cable wherein the cable is prelashedto the supporting strand prior to its being installed on the pole line, as disclosed in the application 199,491, filed December 6, 1350, in the name of F. V. Haskell, S. 'M. Sutton and (LL; Walter, which discloses a method and apparatus for installing aerial cable by prelashing the cable to'the' supporting strand, wherein both the strand and cable are pulled through a machineior lashing a wire around the strand and cable by means of a tow or winch line secured thereto which at the same timepulls'the cable up into' supporting devices on the supporting poles, it is essential that the cable and strand do not twist during the pulling-in operation.

It is a well-known 'fact that when a winch or tow line is wound on a drum, it has a tendency to twist when and after being removed and that this tendency varies with the pulling-in load. In the pulling-in of aerial cable by awinch or tow line secured to a power winch, using rior art methods and apparatus, it has been found that such twisting and untwisting of the tow line are imparted to the cable and/or strand with detrimental effects. Since it is essential that the cable and/or strand should be free of the twisting influence of the tow line, we have devised a device, intended to be interposed between the end of the tow line and the draft end of the cable and/or strand, which prevents the twisting of the tow linefrom affecting the cable and/or strand and permits a prelashed cable to be pulled in with a minimum amount of effort and with the assurance that the cable will notbe damaged by a twisting action being applied thereto.

In accordance with our invention, we have provided a plurality of link members hinged together and having downwardly depending spring biased arms, which when moved upwardly, as when passing througha support and against the tension of springs, nest in recesses in the link members.

Secured to the draft end of the device is a rotatable pulling eye, which is journaledin'a suitable thrust bearing. The opposite end of the de- "l4, and I5;

, 2 vice is provided with suitable means for clamping' the cable and strand therein.

-The invention will be more clearly understoo from: the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view 01" a connecting device illustrative of this invention with a towline secured to the draft end and the cable supporting strand and lashing wire secured to the other end;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. l and illustrates the action of the downwardly depending arms as they pass through the cable support;

Fig. 3 is a, fragmentary view, partly in section, and shows details of the thrust'bearing on the draft end of the device and the springior biasing the downwardly depending arms;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, and shows in detail the clamping means for securing the cable, the supporting strand and the lashing wire to the rear end of the connecting device; and

Fig. 5 illustrates an alternative form of thrust bearing for the draft end of the device.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular-to Figs. 1 and 2, we have provided as shown a plurality of link members iii, ll, l2, and it, each of which comprises a pair of spaced apart parallel longitudinally extending side members The members it and are held in spaced relation and joined together by means of the blocks I6, ll, and iii and are pivotally connected thereto by means of pins 58, 2t, 2!, 22, 2t, and 24.

As'shown in Figs. land-2, and in greater detail-in Fig. 3, there is pivotally supported between each of the members it and i5 adjacent the blocks 16, i'i and it, by means of the pins 25, 26, 2? and 28 the downwardly depending arms 29, so, 3! and 32 which are maintained or biased in their downward position, as shown in Fig. 3, by means of the coil springs 33. The coil springs 33 are mounted on the pivot pins 25, 26, 21, and 28 and have one endsecured by means of screws 3A to the side members l5 and have th'eir other end bearing against the inner wall of the recesses 35 in the arms 29, 3t, 3!, and

"32." A st'oppi n 36 is located adjacent the top of each of the arms 2t, 3d, 31 and 32, to limitth'e movement thereof.

Thereis located at the lower end ofea'ch of the arms 29, 38, Si, and iii, the notches 315%, 39 and 4 0, which are adapted to engage the stop pins ll, 62, 43, and t l, located at the rearof each link member Hi, I l l2, and 53, between the members I4 and I5, to prevent the arms from projecting upwardly beyond the top edges of the li lg membersas-they pass throughthe support As shown in detail in 3, there is located on the draft end of the device a member 55, to which there is pivotally secured by means of the pin 45 the forward link member 19. Rotatably secured to the member 45 by means of the ball bearing 47, is the pulling eye 48, the shank portion of which extends through the member .59. and tenni nates in the large head portion 518. As shown in the various figures a winch or tow line TL is sea cured to the pulling eye 43 and. is. free to, rotate on the bearing ill.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 and more in detail in Fig. 4 there is provided at the rear end of the connecting device, a clamping means for securing the cable, strand and lashing wire to the rear link member i i. The clamping means CL comprises a casing member 5|, having a trough shaped recess therein which is open to its rear for the reception of the cable CA. The opposite end of the casing 5i is pivotally secured to the link member M by means of the pivot pin 52. The casing 5! is provided on its upper edges 53 and 54 with recesses 55, 53, 57 and 58, which are adapted to receive the extending ear portions 59 of the shoe member 59, which as shown, is .in engagement with upper surface of the cable CA and bears firmly against the cable to grip it securely in the casing 5! when the bolts 6 I, which pass through the ears 59 and into the recesses, are tightened down.

As shown, the strand ST is positioned in the longitudinal bore or hole 62 and held therein by means of the screws 83, and the lashing wire LW is secured around the stud 64..

In the operation of the device of our invention,

the cable CA, the strand ST and the lashing wire LW are secured in the clamp CL as heretofore described. The tow line IL is then secured to the pulling eye 18.

When the tow line TL moves forward, as it is wound on the drum of the winch (not shown) to pull the prelashed cable CA into position .on the support SP, the connecting device will approach the support with the arms 25, 30, 3i and 32, hanging downwardly as shown in Fig. 1, due to their weight. As the device reaches the support the arms will successively engage the support and will be moved upwardly as shown by the arm 31 in Fig. 2. Since the arms are spring biased they will assume their normal position as soon as they pass through the support, as shown by the arms 29 and 35 in Fig. 2. The action of the arms is repeated at each support as they pass therethrough and since the arms are of substantial weight the varying torque in the tow line TL will have no efiect on the connecting device or the cable CA, since the tow line TL will be free to rotate on the swivel located on the forward end of the device and the connecting device will not twist nor rotate due to the downwardly depending arms 28, 30, 3| and 32, the weight of which has been calculated :to oppose the twisting action of the tow line TL.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

L'An antitwisting device to be interposed between the end of a tow line and the draft end of a prelashed cable assembly, said assembly including a sheathed multiconductor cable, 325L113- .porting strand and a longitudinally extending of links hingedly secured together in tandem, each of said links comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel members and having downwardly sion of the springs and nest in the link members,

means on the forward end of the device for securing a tow line thereto, and adjustable clamping means on the rear end of the device for securing the sheathed cable, the supporting strand and the lashing wire.

An antitwisting device to be interposed between the end of a tow line and the draft end of a prelashed cable assembly, said assembly including a non-metallic sheathed multiconduc'tor cable, a supporting strand and a longitudinally extending wire lashed thereabout, comprising a plurality of links hingedly secured together in tandem, each of said links comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel members and having downwardly depending arms pivotedly supported therebetween adjacent one end thereof, each of said arms having a spring connected thereto for normally maintaining said arms in their extended positions, said arms arranged, when meet ing an obstruction, to move upwardly against the tension of the springs and next in the link members, rotatable means on the forward end of the device for securing a tow line thereto, and adjustable clamping means on the rear end of the device for independently securing the sheathed cable, the supporting strand and the lashing wire.

3. An antitwisting device to be interposed between the end of .a tow line and the draft end of a prelashed cable assembly, said assembly including a non-metallic sheathed .multiconductor cable, a supporting strand and a longitudinally extending wire lashed thereabout, comprising a plurality of links hingedly secured together in tandem, each of said links comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel members and having downwardly depending arms pivotedly supported therebetween adjacent one end thereof, each of said arms having a spring connected thereto for normally maintaining said arms in their extended positions, said arms arranged, when meeting an obstruction, to move upwardly against the tension of the springs and nest in the link members, rotatable means on the forward end of the device for securing a tow line thereto, and adjustable clamping means comprising a sheath engaging member, a strand securing means and a wire.fastening means on the rear end of said device for securing the prelashed cable assembly.

JAMES A. CARR. FEEDER-1C V. HASKELL. STANFORD M. SUTTON. ORVILLE L. WALTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,675,235 Westhaver. June 26, 1928 2,155,053 Kuenzi Apr. 18,319.39

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 650,978 Germany Sept. 16, 19.3.? 

